African grandmothers have become the lynch pin of survival for their families and communities. They have stepped forward to care for millions of children orphaned by AIDS, sometimes as many as eight to ten in one household.

Grassroots organizations, run by and for grandmothers, have developed remarkable expertise on how to lift grandmothers out of poverty and isolation, support their leadership, and assist them to secure a healthy and happy future for themselves and their grandchildren.

The Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign in Canada exists to support them.

“Against all odds, the Grandmothers Campaign has become a social movement and a model of meaningful solidarity, raising awareness and huge sums of money all across Canada. Let me make an observation here: the reason the grandmothers of Canada are so successful in their support of the grandmothers of Africa lies not only in solidarity, but in vibrant, tangible progress. People live longer. Children survive. Societies rekindle. ”
– Stephen Lewis

Since 2003, Canadians have raised an astonishing $16.5 million through the Grandmothers Campaign for the Stephen Lewis Foundation (SLF)’s collaboration with African grandmothers. The SLF works with grassroots organizations, right at the community level, that provide grandmothers and the children in their care with food and seeds for gardens, school fees, supplies and uniforms, medical counselling and care, housing and income generation activities, home visits and support groups. And so much more.

• Read the goals of the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign.
• The Grandmothers Campaign has been marked and transformed by a number of key moments. Click here to read about some of those key moments led by the Stephen Lewis Foundation.
• Click here to download a Fact Sheet on the Grandmothers Campaign